Shapeshifter

The Babylon Chronicles #1

Kelaste DeLargo-Lagrada is a cat-shapeshifter with no knowledge as to how he came to be this way and a bleak existence as the miserable, unwanted, drug-addicted son of one of the richest men in all of Babylon City. When he meets Noom- mercenary extraordinaire and bad person to the boot- in the worst possible circumstances, all his mundane problems dissipate beneath the sudden realization that someone out there wants him dead. Although narcissistic Noom is supposed to kill Kel, the violent mercenary is confronted with a strange pull towards waifish, skittish Kelaste and can't bring himself to pull the trigger. This puts him in a bind: not only does he not know who might want to kill Kel, but there is also a time limit on the contract. If Noom wants to save his strange new friend, he himself will become a target, something he managed to avoid in the past.
His growing attraction to his captive isn’t the only chink in Noom’s plan, though. Noom is confronted with a much bigger problem: The man he desires isn't human and will probably cost him his life. Already, other assassins have picked up the call to arms, closing in on them and tightening the proverbial noose around Noom’s neck. With time running out, Noom has to decide; is he really willing to risk his life?